Orkut

A few weeks ago, i got re-introduced to Orkut by a friend. I had received an invite earlier in the year, somewhere in Feb. I also had received one in 2005. But then i didnt know what orkut was about nor did I care.

But this month, when my friend resent an invite to me, i decided to check orkut out and use the extra time I had on my hand in the evenings. On registering, i didnt find it anything better that Hi-5 or a similar 'friends network'. Old wine in a new bottle i said to my self. And then it happened. I found a friend long lost. Through her network i found others, and my network just kept growing. Started keeping in touch with people who'm I had not met for decades. It was awsome. In a period of three weeks, I had found over 50 friends on my network, including some people I hardly ever talked to.

It was like a strange addiction, it was a different world, that held you in its hands and controlled you. A world that was driven by ties of friendship, emotions & nostalgia. Memories of the past flooded back, and i remembered my roots.

This is something of a revolution in computing and is re-defining the way friends meet. It is working its way towards becoming one of the largest friends networks ever, and walking through the boulevards that Napster, Google, Yahoo and Hotmail walked through. From a humble startup it is growing to something that would be bigger than we could ever imagine.

One day, people would have Orkut-ids on their visiting cards & Communities aand friends would grow to large numbers. The number of people having orkut ids would just grow to unthinkable numbers....

... and then the downslide would begin. Everything that goes up has to come down. It will then stabilize at a decent number when the next huge thing taps it on its back and says 'Now its my turn please...'.

But at this point of time, I salute Orkut Buyukkokten, the guy behind orkut, the worlds largest friends network!!